Mystery Lover...but overall a very eclectic reader. Will read everything from the classics to historical fiction. Biography to essays. Not into horror or much into YA. If you would like me to review a book, then please see my stated review policy BEFORE emailing me.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September Wrap-Up & P.O.M. Award

I'm enjoying another year of tracking reading progress and statistics for
all things bookish on the Block. I will also be contributing to Kerrie's
Crime Fiction Pick of the Month. Here's what happened here on the Block in August....

Total Books Read: 18 (that's more like it!)Total Pages: 4,741
Average Rating: 3.06 stars
Top Rating: 5 stars Percentage by Female Authors: 28% Percentage by US Authors: 56% Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors: 0% Percentage Mystery: 83%
Percentage Fiction: 100%Percentage written 2000+: 11%Percentage of Rereads: 11%Percentage
Read for Challenges: 100% {It's easy to have every book count for a
challenge when you sign up for as many as I do.}
Number of Challenges fulfilled so far: 19 (45%)

Well....it's encouraging to see the numbers up this month, bu there are still
way too many books that need reading for challenges and I'm still
running a bit behind schedule if I'm going to get 40,000 pages done by
the end of the year.
And now for the P.O.M. Award in Mysteries.

September saw only one five-star book, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Much as I prefer to use the award to highlight a variety of good authors, I simply must go with the clear winner this time--even though Dame Agatha has already claimed a P.O.M award here at the Block. September 15th was the Queen of Crime's birthday and it seems only right to honor her and her excellent book.

In fact, I not only read Christie's novel, I had myself a regular reading, viewing, and listening extravaganza. Not only did I
reread the novel which I have read many times, but I also watched the 1974 star-studded film
featuring Albert Finney as Poirot and the 2010 Poirot series version
with David Suchet in the starring role as well as listening a BBC
dramatization with John Moffatt as the Belgian sleuth.

I remember being amazed by the solution the first time I read it. Christie certainly knows how to surprise and mystify. Express is
one of the Christie novels that I can read over and over. It doesn't
matter that it is one of the "big" Christie stories--one that once
you've read it, you're not likely to forget the solution. There are
always new bits and pieces to notice and think about. This time I was
reading more carefully, looking for hints and clues that my younger self
missed. Nuances in conversation here. A little foreshadowing there. A
phrase that upon first reading (or even third or tenth or...) might have
slipped by unheeded. And I was delighted again to see how Christie sets
the first-time reader up to believe any of a variety of solutions
without revealing the truth. A dazzling ★★★★★ mystery from the Queen of Crime.